Illus. in black-and-white. Marvin's friends think he's the luckiest boy in the world when his teacher asks him to dog-sit for a week. He gets to be alone in Mrs. North's house! But pretty soon it starts to look as if Marvin is not so lucky after all...."
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Booklist
Gr. 2-4. The latest easy chapter book about Marvin starts off with the usual hilarious comedy. Marvin's teacher asks him to care for her aging dog, Waldo, while she's away for a week, and she gives Marvin the key to her house. First, there's the shock of seeing his teacher with a life outside the classroom ("Mrs. North was almost like a real person"). All his classmates envy him. He tries to act mature and responsible, not allowing his friends in Mrs. North's house, walking Waldo, coaxing Waldo to eat, even eating the dog food himself to make sure it's all right. But Waldo won't eat, and the story takes a surprising turn when the dog dies. Marvin must cope with his feelings of guilt and sadness and with his isolation as the kids at school and the substitute teacher turn on him. The farcical cover showing an embarrassed Marvin in his teacher's clothes closet is totally misleading. However, readers will relate to the tension and reversal in the story. They'll recognize Marvin's feelings, both the humor of having to confront your teacher as a person and the sorrow at the death of a beloved pet. Hazel Rochman
--This text refers to the
Library Binding
edition.
Review
This title will lure the most reluctant readers, who will be as glad to make Marvin's acquaintance as his old fans will be to greet a new adventure."--Bulletin, Center for Children's Books.
--This text refers to the
Paperback
edition.
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More About the Author
author spotlight
Newbery Award-winning author Louis Sachar is the creator of the entertaining Marvin Redpost books as well as the much-loved There's a Boy in the Girls' Bathroom, winner of 17 child-voted state awards.
Louis Sachar's book Holes, winner of the 1999 Newbery Medal, the National Book Award, and the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, is also an ALA Best Book for Young Adults, an ALA Quick Pick, an ALA Notable Book, and was made into a major motion picture.
A Few Words From Louis Sachar
Of all the characters from Holes, why did you choose to revisit Armpit in SMALL STEPS?
LS: I tend to write about underdogs. It seemed to me that life would be tough for an African-American teenager from a low-income family with a criminal record. Especially someone stuck with the name, "Armpit."
Although this new book is about a character from Holes, the two books are very different. How would you explain to a fan of Holes what to expect from SMALL STEPS?
LS: I can't. I'm no good at describing my books. Holes has been out now for seven years, and I still can't come up with a good answer when asked what that book is about.
Could you imagine future novels about any of the other boys?
Do you think about what Stanley is up to now?
LS: I don't think too much about Stanley or Zero. I left them in a good place. Although money doesn't bring happiness, or give meaning to someone's life, the problems Stanley and Zero face now (and I'm sure they do face many problems) are less interesting than those faced by someone like Armpit.
Plenty of teenagers fantasize about what it would be like to be a young rock star.
You portray it as lonely. Tell us about that decision.
LS: The media tends to portray the teenage world as one where drinking and sex is taken for granted. In fact, I think most teenagers don't drink, are unsure of themselves, and feel awkward around members of the opposite sex. I thought it was important to show Kaira, a rock star no less, as such a person. Her situation, in many ways, is made more difficult as she has no social contact with anyone her age. She is trapped in a world of agents, record producers, and hanger-ons.
I'm imagining that off all the books you've written, Holes is the one that has changed your life the most. Not only did it win the Newbery Medal, it's also simply a popular sensation. Is this assessment accurate? What is this novel's continuing impact on your life? Would you consider it the book that you are proudest of?
LS: Not counting Small Steps, I think Holes is my best book, in terms of plot, and setting, and the way the story revealed itself. It hasn't changed my life, other than that I have more money than I did before I wrote it. I'm still too close to Small Steps to compare it to Holes.
Why do you typically write only two hours each day?
LS: Small steps. Every time I start a new novel it seems like an impossible undertaking. If I tried to do too much too quickly, I would get lost and feel overwhelmed. I have to go slow, and give things a chance to take form and grow.
Newbery Award-winning author Louis Sachar is the creator of the entertaining Marvin Redpost books as well as the much-loved There's a Boy in the Girls' Bathroom, winner of 17 child-voted state awards.
Louis Sachar's book Holes, winner of the 1999 Newbery Medal, the National Book Award, and the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, is also an ALA Best Book for Young Adults, an ALA Quick Pick, an ALA Notable Book, and was made into a major motion picture.
A Few Words From Louis Sachar
Of all the characters from Holes, why did you choose to revisit Armpit in SMALL STEPS?
LS: I tend to write about underdogs. It seemed to me that life would be tough for an African-American teenager from a low-income family with a criminal record. Especially someone stuck with the name, "Armpit."
Although this new book is about a character from Holes, the two books are very different. How would you explain to a fan of Holes what to expect from SMALL STEPS?
LS: I can't. I'm no good at describing my books. Holes has been out now for seven years, and I still can't come up with a good answer when asked what that book is about.
Could you imagine future novels about any of the other boys?
Do you think about what Stanley is up to now?
LS: I don't think too much about Stanley or Zero. I left them in a good place. Although money doesn't bring happiness, or give meaning to someone's life, the problems Stanley and Zero face now (and I'm sure they do face many problems) are less interesting than those faced by someone like Armpit.
Plenty of teenagers fantasize about what it would be like to be a young rock star.
You portray it as lonely. Tell us about that decision.
LS: The media tends to portray the teenage world as one where drinking and sex is taken for granted. In fact, I think most teenagers don't drink, are unsure of themselves, and feel awkward around members of the opposite sex. I thought it was important to show Kaira, a rock star no less, as such a person. Her situation, in many ways, is made more difficult as she has no social contact with anyone her age. She is trapped in a world of agents, record producers, and hanger-ons.
I'm imagining that off all the books you've written, Holes is the one that has changed your life the most. Not only did it win the Newbery Medal, it's also simply a popular sensation. Is this assessment accurate? What is this novel's continuing impact on your life? Would you consider it the book that you are proudest of?
LS: Not counting Small Steps, I think Holes is my best book, in terms of plot, and setting, and the way the story revealed itself. It hasn't changed my life, other than that I have more money than I did before I wrote it. I'm still too close to Small Steps to compare it to Holes.
Why do you typically write only two hours each day?
LS: Small steps. Every time I start a new novel it seems like an impossible undertaking. If I tried to do too much too quickly, I would get lost and feel overwhelmed. I have to go slow, and give things a chance to take form and grow.
Customer Reviews
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Good Book for the Everyday Kid,
By catPerson93 (California) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Alone In His Teacher's House (Marvin Redpost 4, paper) (Paperback)
I picked up this book after reading Sachar's "Holes" to my elementary aged kids, and I was very pleased with the content. In this book, Sachar allows his readers to see life from the perspective of a regular, everyday kid -- and reading it inspired a "what-would-you-do-in-that-situation" dialogue with my own regular, everyday kids. I truly appreciated seeing a young person in this age range (the 3rd grade-ish Marvin Redpost) portrayed as having a conscious, a sense of responsibility, and the awareness to have compassion for others. Marvin is faced with a pretty grown-up sized situation concerning a beloved pet, and I think it's handled with grace and tenderness. I was pleased to see my children feeling compassion for this character, and I'm looking forward to reading more of Marvin's adventures to my own kids.
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Alone in His Teacher's House,
By A Customer
This review is from: Marvin Redpost: Alone In His Teacher's House (Turtleback School & Library Binding Edition) (School & Library Binding)
Marvin Redpost-Alone in His Teacher's House was a fantasticbook! It could show readers to be responsible for your own pet. youcould learn how to be brave just like Marvin. Marvin was so brave that he took the risk to talk to his teacher. When Marvin saw Mrs. North's dog laying under her bed, he didn't know what to do about it. He even said to his self to do something! This book had a lot of surprising pictures and Louis Sachar is a really good author. I am in Third Grade and I like this book. I hope you like it too!
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Marvin Redpost Rules with one SPED teacher,
By
This review is from: Alone In His Teacher's House (Marvin Redpost 4, paper) (Paperback)
The Marvin Redpost series has been an incredible, literature-based reading program for one of my students! This student has autism.Each book has the same cast of characters. The characters are believable and real to many students experiences. The emotions of the books are understood by students. This is a real achievement for a student with autism! There are some illustrations. The books are chapter books but not overwhelming. This particular book allowed me to witness something I'm celebrating: My student with autism tried to "read ahead" in this book. Thank you Louis Sachar!
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Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
"You will have a substitute teacher tomorrow," Mrs. North told her third-grade class. Read the first page Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Miss Hillway, Marvin Redpost, Patsy Gatsby New!
Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
"You will have a substitute teacher tomorrow," Mrs. North told her third-grade class. Read the first page Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Miss Hillway, Marvin Redpost, Patsy Gatsby New!
Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 20
books:
See all 20 books this book cites
- Why Pick On Me? (Marvin Redpost 2, paper) by Louis Sachar on 6 pages
- Is He A Girl? (Marvin Redpost 3, paper) by Louis Sachar in Front Matter, Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
- Dragon Bones by Clyde Robert Bulla in Back Matter
- Someday Angeline (Avon/Camelot Book) by Louis Sachar in Front Matter
- Space Dog Hb by Vivian French in Back Matter
See all 20 books this book cites
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